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Victor Emmanuel II
Victor Emmanuel II (14, March, 1820 - 9, January, 1871) born '''Vittorio Emanuele Tomasso '''was an Italian King of Sardinia and Italy, unifying the latter for the first time since the sixth century. Known through the land by his countrymen as Father of the Fatherland, Victor Emmanuel lead through the Italian wars of unification. Biography Early Life Duke Vittorio Emanuele Ferdinando Tomasso da Savoy was born on 14, March, 1820 in the Palace of Carignano in Sardinia to Prince Charles Albert of Carignano and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of Austria. His father took the throne of Sardinia when Victor was 11, succeeding a distant cousin for the kingdom in 1831. Victor spent most of his youth in Florence, expressing a great deal of interest in the military, politics, and sports. In 1842 he married his cousin Adelaide of Austria, prior to becoming King of Sardinia. King of Sardinia (1849 - 1878) Victor served under the Sardinian crown in the First Italian War of Independence under his father, fighting on the front lines of Custoza, Goito, Pastrengo, and Santa Lucia. However, following a humiliating military defeat against the Austrians in 1849, his father abdicated the throne and left it to his son. He immediately signed an armistice with the Austrians, and proceeded to put down a rebellion in Genoa. Crimean War (1853 - 1856) Following his ascension Victor appointed Count Camillo Benso of Cavour as Prime Minister of Sardinia, a political mastermind with aims to unify Italy under one ruler. Count Cavour took great adherence to Victor Emmanuel's dictation, and enforced his foreign and military policies, initially by allying with Britain and France in the Crimean War against Russia. After receiving British support Victor ingratiated himself with Napoleon III at the Paris Conference in 1856, and Cavour held secret meetings with the French Emperor to negotiate for French assistance in retaking northern Italy from the Austrian occupation in exchange for the Duchy of Savoy and the city of Nice. Wars of Italian Unification (1859 - 1860) The campaign against Austria began successfully, however, after Emperor Napoleon III signed a treaty with Austria to ensure Sardinia would receive only Lombardy and the French-Italian alliance collapsed. Once Count Cavour resigned, Victor sought out new advisors, however after the Treaty of Turin was signed in March of 1860 and Count Cavour was reinstated as Prime Minister. Later in the same year, Victor Emmanuel sent his forces to fight the Papal armies at Castelfidardo and drove the Pope's forces back to Vatican City, following which he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Meanwhile Giuseppe Garibaldi lead the Expedition of One Thousand, and Victor Emmanuel provided his full support, before taking a tour through the regions of Marche and Umbria. In 1886, during the Third Italian War of Independence, Victor allied with Prussia. He took advantage of the Franco-Prussian War by occupying the city of Rome following the French withdrawal, and declared it his capital on 2, July, 1871, moving into the Quirinal Palace with his wife. He spent the rest of his reign reforming the economy, culture, and government of the new, unified Italy, until his death in Rome in 1878 and was buried in the Pantheon. Trivia *